MATHEMATICS ANXIETY AND PERFORMANCE AMONG SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the study

Mathematics has been considered as one of the essential courses which most disciplines rely on using mathematical thinking. It is a key component in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Mathematical knowledge is a critical aspect for students’ future professional success;  hence research (Claessens & Engel, 2013; Konvalina, Wileman, & Stephens, 1983) on teaching and learning mathematics has gotten a lot of attention over the years.  According to Fritz, Haase, and Räsänen (2019), mathematics is commonly perceived as difficult, supporting the idea that rather than teaching the content and practices of mathematics, the primary focus should be on students’ experiences with the subject and providing mathematical sense-making opportunities (Li & Schoenfeld, 2019). More specifically, as students’ experiences with mathematics have not been very good, the function of mathematics in other fields of study has been a growing research topic in tertiary institutions.

According to Li & Schoenfeld (2019), students’ negative mathematical experiences have been linked to anxiety. In the context of mathematics education, little study has been done on the nexus between mathematics anxiety, mathematics self-efficacy, and learning methodologies among STEM and social science students. In general, anxiety is regarded as a mental health condition in children and adolescents that is important to address since it can have long-term consequences (Monroe & Harkness, 2005; McLaughlin, Conron, Koenen, & Gilman, 2010; Bandoli, Campbell-Sills, Kessler, Heeringa, Nock, et al, 2017). Young individuals are more vulnerable to their immediate environment than adults, and they have fewer resources and previous experiences to deal with stressful events (Stadler & Walitza, 2021). As a result of their emotions of insecurity, individuals are more influenced by stressful situations. Individual, familial, or parental-related risk and resilience factors influence the extent and ability of children and adolescents to cope (Stadler & Walitza, 2021).

Anxiety disorders afflict millions of children, according to the Child’s Mental Health Report (2018), and prevent them from attaining their full potential. “We still have a long way to go”, the report concludes. Anxiety is a gateway condition that can lead to despair, school failure, suicide, and substance abuse if left untreated. Because children are generally quite young when anxiety strikes, they learn to suffer in silence from an early age. Worry, trouble with uncertainty, an over reactive response to perceived threats (including freezing), and avoidance are the hallmarks of anxiety. Some young people avoid or become excessively scared of school subjects, events or objects that provoke their fears, while others react with rage and panic. This behaviour is frequently misinterpreted as rage or disagreement. Few teachers recognize the serious distress experienced by secondary school children with phobias or social anxiety disorder, and their troubles may be attributed to “shyness.” Many young individuals are unaware that their irrational emotions could be the result of a treatable condition rather than a personal flaw. In previous years, health care practitioners have become more aware of anxiety in young people, with one study finding a 17 percent increase in anxiety disorder diagnoses (Bitsko, Holbrook, Ghandour, Blumberg, Visser, Perou, & Walkup, 2018). Teens and their parents are becoming more aware of the seriousness of anxiety disorders, and they are beginning to push for treatment at a level that significantly exceeds that of a generation ago. LeViness, Bershad, & Gorman, (2017) observed that anxiety is the most common source of concern in schools. Despite increased awareness, the proportion of youth who receive treatment remains the lowest of all the major categories of mental health disorders, significantly below the population’s anxiety prevalence (Polanczyk, Salum, Sugaya, Caye, & Rohde, 2015). Thirty percent of children and adolescents will satisfy the criteria for an anxiety disorder at some point, yet eighty percent will never seek care.

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